Batteries are widely used to provide electrical power. The type, size, and number of batteries can vary greatly based on the application. For example, a typical sedan automobile battery is a 12 volt rechargeable lead-acid type battery whereas a typical mobile phone battery is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Generally, the battery type can be classified as either non-rechargeable (i.e., primary) or rechargeable (i.e., secondary), where non-rechargeable batteries are batteries that are incapable of being recharged upon depletion of their energy.
In comparison, rechargeable batteries are capable of being recharged after depletion of their energy. Typically, the larger the battery the longer the time to recharge the battery. Accordingly, because of their size, electric and hybrid vehicles suffer from lengthy recharge times. The charge time is even more pronounced in heavy duty hybrid or electric vehicles, such as a front-end loader. As a result, various battery charging methods have been developed. For example, a conventional method to charge rechargeable batteries, specifically lithium-ion batteries, is the constant-current constant-voltage method. This method includes two steps. The battery is charged at a constant current (CC) until the battery voltage reaches a predefined upper voltage limit (first step), followed by a constant-voltage (CV) charging until the current reaches a predetermined small value (second step). However, CC-CV is not suitable for rapid charging because the constant current (CC) part may raise the battery temperature from the high charge rates, which may lead to a loss of battery life. Furthermore, the constant voltage (CV) part extends the charging time of the battery. Accordingly, the CC-CV method may increase charge times.